Sheep's Head - Mealagh Valley Loop
Walking Trail · Cork
Sheep's Head - Mealagh Valley Loop is a 10.9 km moderate waymarked loop in Cork, starting near Bantry.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Moderate | Moderate | 3.5 hours |
Getting there
Starts at Mealagh Community Centre, near Bantry.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 51.7216, -9.35588
- Irish Grid reference
- W 064 530
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 85
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
- Waymarking
- Green arrow
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Sheep’s Head Way Limited
Sheep’s Head Way Limited
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Sheep's Head - Mullaghmesha Loop 0 m away · 10.4 km trail
- Sli Gaeltacht Mhuscrai 3.5 km away · 71.3 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Mealagh Woods Loop 3.6 km away · 2.9 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Póc an Tairbh (Kealkill) 3.9 km away · 7.4 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Srón na Gaoithe (Kealkill) 3.9 km away · 9.1 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Castledonovan Loop 5.6 km away · 10.8 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Sheep's Head - Mealagh Valley Loop?
10.9 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 240 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 3.5 hours.
How hard is the Sheep's Head - Mealagh Valley Loop?
Sport Ireland grades it Moderate. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Sheep's Head - Mealagh Valley Loop start?
Starts at Mealagh Community Centre, near Bantry. The trailhead is at 51.7216, -9.35588 (Irish Grid W 064 530).
Can you bring a dog on the Sheep's Head - Mealagh Valley Loop?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Who manages the Sheep's Head - Mealagh Valley Loop?
Sheep’s Head Way Limited. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Cork
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.